Horizon’s 7.0 AE is a reasonably priced elliptical with some impressive specs and great features for its price range.
Specifically, this elliptical comes with a generous 20″ stride length, a 20 lb flywheel, and 20 resistance levels.
It also comes with 20 power adjustable incline levels and one of the heaviest-duty frames you’ll find on a $1000 elliptical.
The 7.0 AE also comes with the longest warranty in its class, making it a top contender for the best home elliptical in its price range.
That said, this is a competitive price point with plenty of other great ellipticals to choose from.
Overall, if you’re looking for a durable elliptical with great performance specs, I think Horizon’s 7.0 AE is a smart choice, but you should hear the whole story before deciding.
In this review, I’ll go over everything this elliptical has to offer, as well as where it falls a bit short.
I’ll also offer a head-to-head comparison to the other top ellipticals in this price range.
After reading, you’ll know whether or not the 7.0 AE is the right elliptical for your home gym.
Horizon’s 7.0 AE doesn’t come with many built-in workouts, but it’s heavier-duty and backed by a better warranty than any other elliptical in this price range. If you’re looking for a high-performing machine that’s built to last, the 7.0 AE won’t disappoint.
Horizon’s 7.0 AE Elliptical
Horizon’s an awesome brand, but I’ll admit they aren’t necessarily known for their ellipticals.
They offer a few ellipticals and exercise bikes and they’re great, but it’s their treadmills that really stand out (to me at least).
I actually own their 7.8 AT Treadmill and have been using it for years now without a single issue.
Anyway, the 7.0 AE we’re here to talk about now is Horizon’s highest-end elliptical to date and it’ll cost ya around $1k, give or take.
FYI, Horizon doesn’t offer the 7.0 AE anymore directly through their website, but you can still it in Johnson retail stores or buy it online through Johnson’s website.
Regardless, let’s start this review off with a rundown on this elliptical’s most important performance specs.
Pros
- 20″ stride length
- 23 lb flywheel
- 20 levels of resistance
- 20 levels of incline
- 325 lb max weight capacity
- Heavy-duty frame
- Low step-on height
- Built-in bluetooth speakers
- USB charging
- Cooling fan
- Built-in tablet holder
- One touch speed/incline buttons
- Great warranty
Cons
- Limited selection of workout options
- Takes up a fair amount of floor space
Stride Length
An elliptical’s stride length tells us how far apart our legs will move with each stride and it’s an important spec to look for before making a purchase.
Mostly because if you choose an elliptical that doesn’t have a comfortable stride length for you, you’re going to feel like you’re marching in place or being stretched out too far with each step.
And both situations are less than optimal
Luckily, the 7.0 AE comes with a 20″ stride length, which is the optimal size for most users.
FYI, your optimal stride length depends largely on your height, leg length, and personal preferences – if you aren’t sure what stride length you prefer, check out my guide on finding the right stride length.
Anyway, a 20″ stride length is great and and seeing such a spacious stride isn’t a given in this price range.
This elliptical also comes with a 10.75″ step-on height, which is lower than most of the competition.
In case you’re wondering, the step-on height is how high off the ground you are when you step on the elliptical.
For homes with low ceilings, this in an important number to consider, because you’ll likely want to find a machine that is as low to the ground as possible.
Having a lower step-up height also makes the 7.0 AE easier to get on/off of, something that comes in handy when dealing with mobility issues.
In terms of size, this elliptical is fairly large, taking up a footprint of 76″ x 24″ – so if you’re looking for a compact elliptical, the 7.0 AE probably isn’t the best option.
But when it comes to heavy-dutiness (I’m not sure that’s a real word), the 7.0 AE really shines.
With an assembled weight of 194 lb, this is literally one of the heaviest ellipticals in its price range.
And personally, I love seeing a heavy cardio machine because it means it’s going to feel more stable and secure with me on it.
This extra bulk also allows the 7.0 AE to safely hold users weighing up to 325 lb, allowing folks of all sizes the ability to safely use it.
Overall, this elliptical scores highly right out of the gate with a 20″ stride length and really heavy frame.
Resistance
Most home ellipticals operate like exercise bikes, meaning they use weighted flywheels and magnetic systems to create the resistance.
And like exercise bikes, most ellipticals benefit from having a heavier flywheel because they tend to create a smoother pedaling motion.
With this mind, the 7.0 AE is packing a 23 lb flywheel.
Not only is this heavy enough to create a smooth feel, but it’s also surprisingly heavy for such an affordable elliptical.
Yes, there are heavier flywheels out there, but I can’t think of any in this price range.
To control that heavy flywheel, the 7.0 AE comes with 20 levels of resistance, giving you the opportunity to really fine tune the intensity of your workouts.
This elliptical also comes with 20 levels of power adjustable incline for added workout variety and intensity.
The 7.0 AE is actually the only Horizon elliptical that comes with an adjustable incline system.
I’m glad Horizon finally decided to put this feature on one of their ellipticals because it really is a great addition. It gives you more opportunity to change the difficulty and feel of your workout.
You can also concentrate on different muscle groups by changing the incline angle. For example, higher inclines usually engage your glutes and hamstrings more.
Overall, the 7.0 AE scores highly with a heavy flywheel and plenty of resistance and incline settings to give you full control over your workout.
Features
The Horizon 7.0 AE comes with the following features:
7″ LCD screen- nothing too fancy going on here, just an LCD screen, but it’s large and brightly-lit for easy viewing.
8 workout programs- you won’t find a ton of workout programs on Horizon’s cardio machines, but they come with all the basic profiles in case you want to use ’em (calorie, distance, fat burn, etc). Plus with the addition of the incline settings, you can easily make your own workouts.
Bluetooth speakers- the built-in bluetooth speakers make it easy and convenient to listen to music or listen to a movie you’re watching through the machine. A great feature for a budget elliptical.
USB charing port- the included USB port comes in handy when you want to charge your phone or tablet during your workout. You won’t have to worry about running out of juice, you can keep the tunes blasting as long as you want.
One touch buttons- the one touch buttons for speed and incline are very useful, especially for interval training.
Tablet rack- the built-in tablet rack makes it easy to watch your tablet or hold your phone while you charge it with the USB port. It’s conveniently located so it doesn’t block your view of the display.
Fan- the built-in fan will help keep you cooler during your workout.
Water bottle holder- there’s a handy place to keep your beverage for easy grabbing during workouts.
Assembly
Putting the 7.0 AE together shouldn’t be that bad.
The instructions are well organized with large illustrations and written directions for each step along the way.
Each step specifically shows you which parts and hardware to use for that step.
I really like that they included a to scale image of each screw/bolt that you use for each step- makes it a lot easier than having to reference back to the beginning of the instructions.
The necessary wrenches are also provided, so you don’t need a well stocked tool box to get the job done.
Overall, I bet most folks can have this elliptical up and running in 1-2 hrs.
Warranty
Horizon’s 7.0 AE comes with the following home warranty:
- Lifetime frame
- 3 year parts
- 1 year labor
Horizon has a reputation for offering some of the best warranties out there and they don’t disappoint here.
This is a great warranty for a budget elliptical.
You can’t beat a lifetime frame warranty and you rarely see this in the ~$1k price range.
And 3 years on parts beats the 2 year guarantee most brands offer.
A year on labor is standard, so nothing too special there.
Overall though, a wonderful warranty.
Horizon’s 7.0 AE vs The Competition
| Horizon 7.0 AE | Sole E25 | Schwinn 430 | |
| Stride | 20″ | 20″ | 20″ |
| Flywheel | 23 lb | 20 lb | 20 lb |
| Resistance/incline | 20 levels 20 levels | 20 levels 20 levels | 20 levels 6 manual levels |
| Assembled weight | 194 lb | 209 lb | 169 lb |
| Workouts | 8 | 9 | 22 |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame 3 year parts 1 year labor | Lifetime frame 2 year parts 1 year labor | 10 year frame 2 year parts 90 day labor |
| Price | ~$1000 | ~$1200 | ~$1000 |
Alright, that about does it for everything this elliptical has to offer, so let’s switch gears and see how it stacks up against some of the other top options in the ~$1k price range.
And the first elliptical that immediately comes to mind is Sole’s E25.
The E25 is a little more expensive, usually going for around ~$1200, but it’s a whole lotta elliptical.
This model comes with a 20 lb flywheel, 20 levels of resistance, 20 levels of incline, and a 20″ stride length (maybe they should’ve called it the ‘E20’).
And it comes with an even heavier-duty frame, weighing in at 209 lb.
The E25 is a little more compact and has a higher weight capacity (350 lb) and its console is pretty comparable to the 7.0 AE’s.
However, Horizon’s parts warranty is a bit better.
Another elliptical worth mentioning is Schwinn’s 430, which is usually priced pretty identically at ~$1k.
The 430 comes with a 20″ stride, a 20 lb flywheel, 20 levels of resistance, and 22 preset workout programs.
The 430 isn’t quite as heavy-duty (weighs 169 lb) though and it only comes with 6 levels of manually adjusted incline.
Schwinn’s warranty isn’t as generous either.
Overall, based on these comps, I’d say the 7.0 AE scores highly for an elliptical in this price range.
Horizon’s 7.0 AE vs Horizon’s EX-59
| Horizon’s 7.0 AE | Horizon’s EX-59 | |
| Stride | 20″ | 18″ |
| Flywheel | 23 lb | 14 lb |
| Resistance/incline | 20 levels 20 levels | 10 levels n/a |
| Assembled weight | 194 lb | 145 lb |
| Weight limit | 325 lb | 300 lb |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame 3 year parts 1 year labor | Lifetime frame 1 year parts 1 year labor |
| Price | ~$1000 | ~$700 |
The last elliptical I want to mention is Horizon’s own EX-59.
The EX-59 is Horizon’s entry-level model and it costs around $700.
The EX-59 comes with an 18″ stride, a 14 lb flywheel, 10 levels of resistance, and no power incline.
Its console is even simpler too, coming with a smaller LCD screen and fewer workout programs.
The 7.0 AE also comes with a heavier frame, higher weight capacity, and longer parts warranty.
Overall, the 7.0 AE comes with a lot of upgrades over the EX-59, but folks looking for a shorter stride length or working with a smaller budget may want to consider it.
For its price, the EX-59 is a great model as well.
Final Thoughts
Well, there ya have it, Horizon’s 7.0 AE in a nutshell.
When you look at everything this elliptical has to offer, there’s really not much to complain about.
In terms of performance, it has a comfortable stride length, a heavy flywheel, and plenty of resistance/incline settings to work with.
And as I’ve mentioned several times throughout this review, the 7.0 AE is incredibly heavy-duty for an elliptical in this price range.
And of course the generous warranty is awesome.
The only real downsides are the lack of built-in workout programs and the fact that it’s a little longer than some comparable ellipticals.
And speaking of comps, I think the above table illustrates that the 7.0 AE has the specs and features to hang with any other ~$1k elliptical out there (and even several more expensive models).
Overall, I think the 7.0 AE is a home run and definitely my favorite Horizon elliptical to date.
If you’re looking for a robust elliptical that’s built to last, you won’t be disappointed.
